Flying Start for Global Book Publishing Subsidiary

Quarto Group Inc
10 January 2000

                    THE QUARTO GROUP, INC.
                               
   A flying start for its Global Book Publishing subsidiary
                               
Quarto's  newly-formed Australian-based co-edition  publishing
subsidiary, Global Book Publishing, has concluded a deal  with
Random  House, a part of the Bertelsmann empire,  under  which
Random  House Australia will buy from Global 20,000 copies  of
Anatomica,  Global's first title, for publication  in  October
2000  under the Random House imprint.  Anatomica will  be  the
most  definitive, fully illustrated family reference  book  on
the  human  body  published  to date  and  will  be  aimed  at
families, schools and even first year medical students.   With
912  pages  and thousands of specially produced illustrations,
it  comes  with  a  carry case and free  CD-Rom.   The  CD-Rom
contains much extra material, and will be available for use by
Global  and  its licensees in other forms.  The  Random  House
deal will be part of Global's initial print run for the title,
for  which there are currently pre-publication orders  in  the
English   language  for  80,000  copies,   to   be   sold   at
approximately £30 retail.

In addition, Global has purchased from Random House the rights
to  a travel series that was originally conceived and produced
by  Global's  Managing Director, Gordon Cheers,  when  he  was
publisher of the illustrated non-fiction list at Random  House
Australia.   There  he  was responsible  for  developing  such
successful  major  international titles  as  Botanica  (1997),
Botanica's Roses (1998) and Geographica (2000).

Gordon  Cheers stated 'Our intention is to publish  definitive
reference  books, each of them about 1,000 pages  on  a  broad
range  of subjects.  The intention is to use a large  team  of
writers,  editors, illustrators and cartographers from  around
the  world, each a specialist in his or her own area, and that
in time each book will become THE BIBLE in that subject area.'
Other   key  titles  in  progress  include  the  Global   Wine
Encyclopedia and America: The Complete Story.

Laurence  F  Orbach,  Chairman of Quarto (which  is  based  in
London  and  whose  shares  are listed  on  the  London  Stock
Exchange),  commented 'Global has got off to a  flying  start.
It specialises in large format, authoritative reference books,
and  the market is hungry for them.  In addition to the  large
English  language orders, there will be substantial  printings
in  foreign  languages  of this and other  forthcoming  global
titles, for publication under a variety of leading third party
imprints around the world.'

Enquiries:

The Quarto Group, Inc                            0171-700 9015
  Terry Hancock (Chief Operating Officer)

Bankside Consultants Limited                     0171-220 7477
  Charles Ponsonby